Juliet

By: Anne Fortier

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

A sweeping novel of intrigue and identity, of love and legacy, as a young woman discovers that her own fate is irrevocably tied—for better or worse—to literature’s greatest star-crossed lovers.

Twenty-five-year-old Julie Jacobs is heartbroken over the death of her beloved aunt Rose. But the shock goes even deeper when she learns that the woman who has been like a mother to her has left her entire estate to Julie’s twin sister. The only thing Julie receives is a key—one carried by her mother on the day she herself died—to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy.

This key sends Julie on a journey that will change her life forever—a journey into the troubled past of her ancestor Giulietta Tolomei. In 1340, still reeling from the slaughter of her parents, Giulietta was smuggled into Siena, where she met a young man named Romeo. Their ill-fated love turned medieval Siena upside-down and went on to inspire generations of poets and artists, the story reaching its pinnacle in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.

But six centuries have a way of catching up to the present, and Julie gradually begins to discover that here, in this ancient city, the past and present are hard to tell apart. The deeper she delves into the history of Romeo and Giulietta, and the closer she gets to the treasure they allegedly left behind, the greater the danger surrounding her—superstitions, ancient hostilities, and personal vendettas. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in the unforgettable blood feud, she begins to fear that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is destined to be its next target. Only someone like Romeo, it seems, could save her from this dreaded fate, but his story ended long ago. Or did it?

Praise for Juliet

“One of those rare novels that have it all . . . I was swept away”—Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants

“Juliet leads us on a thrilling treasure hunt through present-day Italy that makes the classic tragedy itself spellbinding all over again.”—Elle

“Boldly imagined, brilliantly plotted, beautifully described, Juliet will carry you spellbound until the gripping end.”—Susan Vreeland, author of Clara and Mr. Tiffany

“The Shakespearean scholarship on display is both impressive and well-handled.”—The Washington Post

I loved it! I have !read it and then I listened!

Great story, very creative and interesting twists, and turns. Worth it to read or listen to it. I loved hearing the narrator speak the Italian words and accents all very well done.

The author does a wonderful job of descriptions of places and people. Be ready for a surprise time change.

This is such a great book, I've given it as a gift to several girlfriends (all different ages) and they all love it!

Brilliantly and fantastically, written, delightful and tender adventure!

I can only speak positive words about this audiobook, what a fantastically, brilliant and fun adventure that takes you on a ride that will warm your heart, open your soul, and make you want to go to Italy more than ever. Absolutely love this audiobook.

Amazing story line!!

There is not one thing bad I can say about this book! The plot was amazing, the progression of the story was spot on, the narration was fantastic! This author has a unique way of telling the story that literally brings it to life in your mind, as the narrator is reading it to you. I’ve liked a lot of books in my time but this book is seriously in the top two I recommend it 100%.

got pulled into the plot

enjoyed listening to this book, really got pulled into the plot. Liked how the author switched between the current day romeo and juliet and original Romeo and Juliet. Good story

'Valley Girls' Meet Shakespeare

If you can get past the terrifically annoying 'valley girl speak' (particularly from one of the primary characters), this is a very enjoyable book. The story is intriguing, well developed and written and quite engaging. By the time I got to Part 2, I was getting really tired of
"P-L-E-E-E-Z-E" coming out of the mouth of the two sisters who are the main players but I hung in there because I was hooked on the storyline. In fact, I plan to read Fortier's next book, hoping that the 'valley girl factor' won't be present in that novel. If you are looking for a fun, romantic, interesting read, I recommend this book. The reader's voice gets a bit grating when she's doing the main characters in present day, but when the book switches back to Italy in the 1400s, she's great with accents and keeping myriad characters straight. Give her a lot of credit for that.